Digital Tools, SEO

Use Google My Business for Local SEO Strategy

Introduction

Are you looking for ways to increase your visibility in local searches? If so, Google My Business SEO may be the answer.

Google My Business is a great tool to optimize your business for local searches. By using Google My Business, you can make your business more visible by setting up a business location and adding information that Google needs.

This will help promote your business to local customers, as it increases the visibility of your business listing in search queries.

Additionally, it allows you to easily provide relevant information about your business including contact details, opening hours, services offered, and more.

With Google My Business SEO, you can ensure that potential customers have access to the most accurate and updated information about your business when they search online.

In this article, we’ll explain what GMB is, how it works, and how you can use it to optimize your business for local searches.

What Is Local SEO?

When it comes to online visibility and recognition, optimizing your local search engine presence is a must.

Local SEO or search engine optimization, strategically places your business at the top of local indexes such as Google Maps, Yahoo! Local, and Bing Local.

This boosts the visibility of your company in searches made by users who are close to the physical location of your business.

The primary focus of local SEO is to ensure that when someone nearby searches for a service provided by your business, they’ll easily be able to find you.

To accomplish this, businesses need to focus on citations and backlinks, address consistency, keyword usage, regular website updates, and other techniques that leverage the power of local SEO.

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business (GMB) is a powerful tool that business owners can use to increase their visibility online.

It allows them to create an online profile, connected to the Google Maps platform, that showcases the key information about their business – such as opening hours, contact details, and location.

This profile can help customers find the right business quickly and easily, helping to boost sales and improve customer service. GMB also helps businesses share updates on products, services, events, and other news with customers in their local area.

Plus, they can even monitor how customers are engaging with their brand on Google Maps and make changes where needed. With GMB, businesses have the power to make their presence known – on the map and beyond.

Why Is GMB Important Tool for Local Seo Strategy?

GMB, or Google My Business, is an important tool for local SEO strategy for several reasons:

1. Increased Visibility

Having a GMB listing makes it easier for potential customers to find your business in local search results. GMB listings appear prominently in Google Maps and in the local pack, which is the list of businesses that appear on the first page of Google search results.

2. Improved Credibility

A GMB listing provides valuable information about your business, such as your hours of operation, address, phone number, and reviews.

This information helps to establish your business as a credible and trustworthy option for potential customers.

3. Increased Engagement

GMB also provides features such as the ability to post updates, photos, and special offers, as well as the ability to respond to customer reviews.

These features can help to increase engagement with your customers and improve your overall online presence.

4. Local Rankings

GMB also plays a role in local search ranking. Google uses a variety of factors to determine the order in which businesses appear in local search results, and having a complete and accurate GMB listing can help to improve your local rankings.

5. Customer-centric

When you make customer-centricity a priority, you’re setting your business up for successful growth. Google My Business offers an ideal platform to foster relationships with customers and potential leads.

It’s never been easier to stay in touch with your target market – they can ask questions directly and receive detailed answers quickly.

By maintaining an open and interactive dialogue, you create a sense of trust and connection. Your customers understand that their voices are heard, providing them with comfort and reliability.

When you remain customer-centric, no obstacles will prevent you from continuing on your path to success.

6. Pocket-Friendly

Gone are the days when connecting with your audience required a hefty investment in marketing and advertising. Thanks to Google SEO, you can now easily stay connected with your audiences free of cost.

Google SEO is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to stand out from the competition in a pocket-friendly way. It’s not complicated or time-consuming and its results are excellent. You’ll be able to put your name out there without having to pay a dime!

Not only that, but Google SEO can also help you with your marketing and advertising efforts – giving your SEO reach an extra boost and increasing your visibility in the market.

7. Effective

Google My Business provides a powerful boost to your company by allowing you to expand your reach and attract potential customers online.

With easy entry-level pricing and plenty of options for customization, businesses can benefit from increased visibility and customer reviews for their products and services.

Whether your business is an online store or a local retailer, having a presence on Google My Business increases the chances of potential customers finding your business when they search for related keywords.

Maximize the use of Google My Business and make your small business thrive.

Manage Your Business Profile Directly on Google: Google Business Profile Help

With a Business Profile on Google Maps and Search, you can make sure your business is up-to-date and stands out. You can update information, adjust hours, add a website, post photos, respond to reviews, and answer customer questions.

Make sure that customers know everything they need to know about your business and keep it fresh with regular updates!

1. Get Started on Maps & Search

You can start by entering the opening date of your business within 90 days. Then you can use Business Profile Manager to make changes to your profile.

Once it’s verified, you’ll be able to share even more information about your business on Google Maps and Search.

Get started now and take control of your online presence with a verified Business Profile.

2. Manage Your Business Profile on Google Search & the Google Maps App

To take control of your Google Business Profile, follow these steps:

1. Locate your profile by using our search feature.

2. Select either the Edit Profile, Promote, or Customers option in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

3. Start making changes and managing your google my business account to best suit your business goals!

3. The Transition from The Google My Business App to The Google Maps App

Keep using your Business Profile effortlessly by downloading the Google Maps app on your mobile devices. This is an easy way to access your data right from your fingertips!

Tap Manage on Maps in the Google My Business app to switch over to the Google Maps app. Sign in with the same Google Account used to access your profile.

To view your profile, simply tap your profile photo or initial account circle followed by Your Business Profile.

4. Change Access or Stop Managing Your Business Profile

You have the power to control who can manage your profile – you can add, remove, or transfer people. For open businesses, you can easily remove the Business Profile from your account.

If the business is closed though, you’ll want to mark it as permanently closed before removing it from your account. That way, others will know that the business has closed and won’t be confused by seeing an active listing.

8 Ways to Optimize Your Google Business Profile for SEO

1. Verify Your Business

Google takes your business legitimacy seriously. That’s why after you complete the account creation process, they will send you a four-digit code to the address you provided in order to verify your business.

To confirm that your local business is real, simply follow the link and enter the code sent to you. Once completed, Google will officially publish your new profile and you can start taking advantage of their excellent features.

2. Fill out Your Profile Completely

Completing your Google My Business profile is an essential step for any business that wants to reach more potential customers. Filling out all the information you are asked for can help increase visibility.

It may take some time, but it will be worth it in the long run. “Google rewards businesses who take the time to complete their profiles.”

Make sure to include your business’s name, address, phone number, website link, and categories – these are the most important details.

3. Make Sure Your Profile Information Is (and Stays) Accurate

Keeping your Google My Business profile up to date is essential. To ensure all information is accurate, you may want to set reminder notifications or double-check certain details often.

This could include making sure contact details are correct, marking holiday hours, responding to reviews, and ensuring anything else listed is valid.

Doing this will make sure potential customers can access your business when they need to without being disappointed. Furthermore, it will also improve overall credibility as customers trust businesses that maintain accuracy online.

4. Ensure NAP Consistency Across the Web

Keeping your online local listings as consistent as possible is essential for improving your website’s visibility.

Make sure that your Name, Address, and Phone Number information is an exact match between all of your online local listings, social media accounts, and Google My Business profile.

Embedding a Google Map on the contact page of your website can also be beneficial. If you have multiple locations, add the same NAP information and map to each location page. Taking these small steps ensures higher rankings and improved visibility.

5. Pick the Most Relevant Categories

Selecting the right service categories is critical when it comes to optimizing your Google My Business ranking. Having the most up-to-date and relevant category for your primary category is essential for ensuring your business appears in organic search results.

Consider selecting no more than nine secondary categories, as choosing too many could lead to decreased relevance.

Make sure you do ample keyword research and utilize data from local pack searches to help you select the most appropriate categories for your business.

Your choices will ultimately determine which searches your business is eligible for, so be thorough and consider all trade-offs before making a final decision.

6. Include Semi-Professional Pictures

High-quality pictures can be invaluable for boosting the success of your Google My Business listing. You should aim to have semi-professional photos of both the inside and outside of your business, as well as include a few images of your team.

It is also important to make sure you optimize your images. Using features such as alt text, titles, captions, and geotagging – so that they are properly displayed and recognizable by Google’s search engine.

Achieving local results through your Google My Business listing will be much harder if you don’t take these steps.

7. Get More Reviews

When it comes to reviews, it is important to have a plan. Curating quality reviews can help boost your business profile on search engines and Google Maps.

Make sure your reviews are authentic as search engines are adept at recognizing false enthusiasm. Aim for meaningful reviews with 200+ characters so they carry more value.

Additionally, don’t forget to respond to reviews to show that you value customer feedback and are committed to creating a better experience.

Doing this can even encourage customers to revise bad reviews and give them a more positive impression of your business.

8. Take Advantage of Posts on Google

If you want to drive more traffic and increase user engagement for your business, try creating interactive GMB posts. They’re easy to make and provide a great opportunity for you to get seen by potential customers searching for related topics.

For the best results, write 10 or more posts that are at least 1,000 words long and include relevant keywords. Additionally, keep your content fresh by regularly updating it with new information and photos.

Your posts should have an informative tone that accurately reflects your company while still engaging readers.

How to Completely Optimize Your Google My Business Listing?

1. Google Business Profiles: The Basics

Google Business Profiles are the perfect way to give your brand a public identity and presence with Google.

By setting up a profile, you can make sure that key information about your business appears on both Google Search and Google Maps — and on any third-party platform that uses the Google Maps API.

It’s also free to use, and won’t replace your existing website. If you already have a Google+ account or have had a business operating for a while, you likely already have a listing with Google Business Profiles.

Simply upgrade your previous methods — like Google My Business, Google Places for Business, and the Google+ Pages Dashboard — to get started.

2. Starting Your Google Business Profile

Conduct a Google search to check if your business already has a Google Business Profile.
You can also use Google’s in-platform search feature to locate your business on GBP.
If your business has been around for some time, it may have a GBP and all you need to do is claim it.
If someone else has claimed your business, there are steps you can take.
Input your official business name and main business category when setting up a new profile.
Verification can take up to a week to complete.
Add contact information such as the phone number and website URL.
Include the physical address if people can visit the business during working hours.
Select whether or not customers are serviced outside of the location.
Click ‘Next’ to verify the profile.

3. Verifying Your Google Business Profile

Verifying your Google Business profile is an important step for businesses to make sure their details are accurate and visible.
It proves to Google that you can effectively manage and represent the business.
Verifying your business helps to increase visibility, performance, and page insights/analytics.
Google will send a postcard with a verification code for you to use to verify your profile.
Verification typically takes less than a week and is necessary in order to access reviews from the back end.
Once verified, you can add additional details about your business such as business hours, description, messaging options, and photos.

4. Publishing Your Google Business Profile

Once you complete the process of creating and registering your business, you will be taken to the Google Business Profile Manager, which provides a dashboard from which you can manage your profile.

i) Enter Complete Data For Your Profile

When writing on your local business profile, provide detailed and accurate information.
Let potential customers know exactly what goods and/or services you are providing.
Clearly state where your business is located and which areas you serve.
Include contact details such as an email address, phone number, and website URL.
Provide opening hours so potential customers know when they can reach you.
Include images and videos in your profile to give potential customers a better idea of your business.
Make sure to use keywords that are relevant to your business and add them to titles, descriptions, and tags as appropriate.
Stay up to date with industry trends and update your profile accordingly.

ii) Include Keywords

Google uses a variety of signals to determine how websites are ranked in search results.
Including relevant keywords and phrases on your business profile can help boost your presence on Google.
Adding an informative business description that includes keywords, phrases, and other relevant information can help your profile rank higher when people search for products or services related to your business.
Your website is listed directly within your Google My Business (GMB) listing. So optimizing it based on SEO guidelines will improve its ranking in searches.
Using a natural tone with keywords and phrases throughout your posts in Local Posts will make them more searchable for potential customers
Optimizing your GMB listing for SEO is an effective way to increase visibility and reach more customers

iii) Keep Business Operating Hours Accurate

It is essential to keep your business hours up to date in order to provide customers with accurate information.
Customers can rely on Google to keep your hours updated so they know when you are open.
Customizing hours for holidays and other events helps to ensure that customers have access to the correct information.
Setting regular hours is a necessary first step to making additional hour changes visible.
Keeping your business hours current will help to create happy customers and maximize business potential.

iv) Add Photos

Having photos on business profiles is key to optimizing visibility.
Businesses with photos on their profiles receive 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps than businesses without photos.
Businesses with photos also experience a 35% uptick in click-throughs to their websites compared to businesses without photos.
Google has found this to be true across platforms, including Google My Business and Google search results.
High-quality photos help customers get a better sense of the business, adding a visual element to reinforce the brand.
Photos also make it easier to stand out among competitors and gain customer trust.
Businesses should prioritize adding compelling visuals to their profiles for maximum visibility.

v) Manage & Respond To Customer Reviews

Responding to customer reviews demonstrates your business’s commitment to customers and their feedback.
Positive reviews can help increase potential customers’ confidence in your business and impact visibility in search engine results.
Invite customers to leave reviews on your site by creating a link that they can click on and fill out forms easily.
Taking the time to interact with customers shows them you care about their opinions and want to create an enjoyable experience for them.
Improving customer experience is essential for creating reliable, long-term relationships with them.
The way you communicate with customers impacts their loyalty and willingness to interact with your business in the future.

vi) Let Customers Message You

The Google Business Profile app provides a direct line of communication between customers and businesses.
You can quickly enable the messaging feature by navigating to Customers, then Messages, then Turn on through the app.
Enabling the messages feature allows customers to reach out via their Business Profiles with a Message button.
Customers will appreciate automated responses to incoming messages, which will help businesses remain responsive and visible.
To ensure maximum performance and visibility in this setting, responding to customer messages within 24 hours is essential.
Fast response times make all the difference when winning over potential customers.

vii) Use Local Posts

Google Business Profiles let you publish offers, events, products, and services directly to Google Search and Maps
Posts on Google Business Profiles are an effective way to engage with your audience and make sure your profile stays up to date
Using posts on Google Business Profiles can help increase the visibility of your business in areas like the Knowledge Panel
When making posts it’s important to ensure that they are high-quality, free of errors, and respectful
Visuals and links can help boost your post reach if they link to trusted websites
Certain industries (i.e. alcohol and tobacco, adult services, etc.) are not allowed to post content related to their products
It is important to keep posts family-friendly as they may be seen by anyone using Google

viii) Use The Special Attributes

GBP’s new features allow Black-owned and women-led businesses to be highlighted on their profile.
In addition, the features allow users to see whether a business offers outdoor seating and other services.
For healthcare-related businesses, there are additional attributes that can be disclosed such as offering online care and the ability to schedule and receive it.
Additionally, gender information can be edited, allowing businesses to accurately reflect their identities.
With so many updates, GBP is empowering customers by providing as much detail about a business listing that could be needed.
By making these changes, GBP is creating a more informative experience for all its users.

ix) Use The Product Catalog

The Product Editor from Google Business Platform (GBP) provides merchants with an easy way to showcase their products and services.
Small and medium-sized businesses are eligible to utilize the Product Editor, as well as certain business verticals.
Local Inventory Ads are intended for larger businesses, allowing them to display their products.
Showcasing product details such as pricing, images, and description permits customers to understand more about the offerings and interact with the business on a deeper level.
This product information can also help Google better comprehend a company.
Utilizing GBP’s Product Editor enables businesses to reach potential customers in an efficient and effective manner.

5. Photos & Videos For Your Google Business Profiles

A logo is one of the most important pieces of imagery for a business.
The logo is arguably the most recognizable and impactful image for a business.
Google recommends that businesses use square-sized images of their logo to help customers identify them.
Ideally, it should be an image that reflects your company’s mission and values.
Your logo should be unique and eye-catching, so it stands out from the competition.
It’s a good idea to consider getting professional design help when creating your logo.
Once you have your logo, use it consistently and strategically in your marketing materials.

6. Cover Photo

Your cover photo should be the first visual element that potential customers see and draw attention to.
The image should accurately convey your brand’s mission, values, and personality in a creative way.
Choose a 16:9 aspect ratio image that is eye-catching but free of text or graphics so it optimizes on all devices.
Ideally, the image should have an embedded sense of motion, action, or energy to grab attention.
High-quality images with bright colors or a vibrant color palette, help make sure that your image isn’t washed out.
Don’t forget to regularly update your cover photo with each season or campaign for maximum engagement.

7. Interior Photos

In-store experiences are necessary for customers to understand a business better.
Making a good impression can easily be achieved by providing a visual representation of the store’s interior.
Businesses that offer an in-store experience are more likely to convert potential customers into actual customers.
Visual representations of a store’s layout and features can help customers make informed decisions about their purchase, assisting businesses to increase sales.
An in-store experience can be not only visually stimulating but also educational, offering customers an interactive insight into the product or service being offered.
Providing a curated in-store experience is one way for businesses to showcase the items they sell and set themselves apart from competitors.

8. Video

Videos are one of the most popular media forms on the web for a good reason.
They allow us to see and experience something that can be hard to explain in words
Videos can help build trust with potential customers or viewers.
Studies have shown that online viewers are 70% more likely to make a purchase after watching a product video.
Videos can be used to demonstrate a product or service, tell a story or showcase user success stories.
Video content can also be a great way to boost engagement and drive website traffic.
Video content is a powerful tool for marketers and businesses alike to reach their target audiences more effectively.

9. Additional Photos

A business brand profile should feature a range of photos to showcase its offerings and capabilities.
These photos can include goods and services, staff at work/assisting customers, and exterior views (parking etc).
The photo should follow Google’s best practices: format (JPG/PNG), size (10KB-5MB), and minimum resolution (720px).
High-quality images are important – they should be in focus, well-lit, unaltered, and not filtered.
Businesses have the opportunity to create virtual tours for a 360-degree interactive experience and further enhance their visibility.
These photos will give customers an insight into what to expect from the business, allowing them to make informed decisions.

10. Monitoring Your Google Business Profile Insights

Google Insights allow businesses to gain insight into their customer interactions on Google
Businesses can track which sources customers used to find them online, and where they navigate within their profile.
Google Insights also allows businesses to measure the number of phone calls, direction requests, and other customer actions with regard to their profile.
With this data, businesses can better tailor their approach to effectively reach their desired customer base.
Google’s analytical data provides a powerful tool for businesses that are looking to track and understand customer behavior.

11. How Customers Find Your Profile

Insights provide an overview of how customers find you during their searches.
There are two types of customer searches—Direct and Discovery.
A Direct search occurs when a customer searches for your business name or address.
A Discovery search occurs when a customer searches for a category, product, or service that you offer, and your profile appears in the results.
The Insights section within the bulk Insights reports labels these two categories using Total Searches and Direct Searches versus Discovery Searches.
Understanding the breakdown between the two different customer search patterns can help to inform business decisions.
Using this information, businesses can further optimize their presence online to improve customer reach and engagement.

12. Where Customers Find You On Google

The Google Search & Maps Insights page shows you how many customers have found your business through either Google Search or Google Maps.
There are two sections on this page — one for “Listing on Search” and one for “Listing on Maps”.
Google counts “views” similarly to the way other analytics platforms count “impressions”.
You can see how many views your profile received per product within the selected timeframe by hovering over the segments of the graph.
These sections are labeled as “Total Views”, “Search Views” and “Maps Views” in bulk insight reports.
Using this data is an invaluable tool to help track and measure the success of your search engine optimization efforts.

13. Customer Actions

This section in Insights provides customers’ actions after finding your profile on Google.
Total actions consist of website visits, directions requests, phone calls, and photo views.
You can get detailed reports on total actions, website actions, direction requests, and phone calls.
The map view shows where people request directions to your business most often.
Your business’s location is easily identified on the map and you can break down the number of direction requests by city or neighbourhood.
With this powerful feature, you can gain a better understanding of how customers find your business on Google and the actions they take afterward.

14. Phone Calls

This section of Google Business Profiles (GBP) provides businesses with detailed insights into customer call activity.
The Total Calls feature shows the total number of phone calls made to a business during a selected time period.
The graph enables users to view trends in customer calls by day of the week or time of day.
This allows businesses to understand when customers are most likely to call after seeing their GBP listing.
Having this information can help operators and marketers implement more effective strategies for increasing customer engagement.

15. Photos

Google My Business (GMB) allows businesses to view photo insights with the Photo Views Graph and Photo Quantity Graph.
The graphs compare your business’s photo data with data from other similar businesses.
GMB’s reporting component includes bulk insights for total owner photos, owner photo views, total customer photos, and customer photo views.
These insights can be used to examine how often your photos are being viewed and determine areas for improvement.
This data is valuable for any business looking to maximize its visibility and engagement on GMB.

Google My Business for Local SEO

Google My Business is an essential tool for local SEO.

By creating and maintaining a Google My Business dashboard, you can send your business’s address, phone number, website, services, and other information to Google so it can easily be found by potential customers searching for relevant local businesses online.

Google may also use this information to determine the relevancy of your business listing in relation to searches made by users.

Knowing that Google uses this data to show your business prominently in search results is why mastering how it works is so important.

To begin mastering how to use Google My Business, first make sure to create a profile for your business with as much detail as possible. Then keep up with any updates or changes as they occur.

Finally, stay active in managing your profile by responding to customer reviews and monitoring insights provided on the dashboard such as organic clicks and search impressions.

With these steps, you will be able to effectively use the power of Google My Business for local SEO.